Anti-war Demonstrations Against Israeli Offensive in Gaza

Israeli news-paper Haaretz reports that inside the government started a debate between the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, on one side, and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defence Minister Ehud Barak on the other about enlarge or stop soon military operations in Gaza. Livni and Barak fears the growing world public opinion opposition against the war and the risk of target civilians during the operations Olmert on the other side support the military that asked the government more time to fight Hamas. Livni and Barak position seams the signal that world protests are really affecting Israeli government.  

In Arabic world main protests were held in Egypt and Jordan, the two only country which have diplomatic ties with Israel. In Egypt on Sunday protest where organized by islamist Muslim Brotherhood the main opposition party that accuses President Mubarak to collaborate with Israel not allowing Palestinians who are trying to escape from Gaza to cross the south border with Egypt, demonstrators shouted slogans like: "Gaza excuse us: opening Rafah is not in our hands". In Jordan capital Amman tens of thousands people crowd marched to Israeli Embassy but demonstration was stopped by police. Then on Saturday Jordan government decide withdraw its ambassador from Israel and Prime Minister, Faisal Al Fayez, said that his country is willing to consider all options, and could reconsider its relations with Israel. 

In Europe mass demonstrations were held in the biggest cities. In Italy “Forum Palestina” the umbrella organization of the main associations and groups that support Palestine organized local demonstrations since the beginning of the military operations demanding the end of any kind of agreement between Italy, European Union and Israel and Hebrew state products boycott. A big national demonstration is scheduled for Sunday 17th in Rome.

In France on Wednesday 100.000 people, according demonstration’s organizers, gathered in Paris and an at least 100.000 thousand demonstrated in the other French cities. Main left parties, like French Communist Party and Revolutionary Communist League answered the call of National Collective for a Right and Durable Peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Socialist Party didn’t officially support the demonstration even if lots of party supporters participated autonomously.

In London after daily demonstrations were organized by arab migrants organizations in front of Israely embassy in the previous days on Sunday a 100.000 people gathered in Hyde Park answering the call by the Stop The War Coalition. In front of Israeli Embassy in Kensington High Street clashes between police and protesters started when Arab young groups started to throw shoes and objects to Israeli Embassy.

Also in Spain were registered mass protests for Palestine during the week, in Madrid at lest 55.000 people marched against the war on Sunday , a platform of artists and actors who already took position against the war in Irak in 2003 invited Spanish people to demonstrate for Gaza. Demonstrators asked the government to be more active in anti-war lobbying on Israel and to general boycott of Israeli goods.

Other protests for Gaza were held in Duisburg, Berlin, Oslo, Athens, Budapest, Sthokolm.

Main protagonists of these protests in almost all European cities were Arab and Muslims migrants communities which gain an important role as active political actors in Europe.  

Venezuela strongly protested against Israeli intervention in Gaza, President Hugo Chavez decided on Wednesday to expel Shlomo Cohen, Israeli ambassador in Venezuela to show is “solidarity with the heroic Palestinian people” and called “Hebrew people in the World to oppose to Israel criminal actions of Israel that remember worst pages of XX Century history”.